Why competitors collaborate: A typology of economic, altruistic, and habitual emergence among SMEs in Namibia

This study examines why and how coopetition emerges among tourism small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Namibia. Using a constructivist grounded theory design, the study analyzes 89 emergence episodes from interviews with 36 owners and managers in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. The findings show that coopetition emerges through more than one logic. Three pathways are identified: economic, altruistic, and habitual. Economic emergence occurs when firms address capacity limits, access complementary services, create alliances, or broaden offerings. Altruistic emergence reflects solidarity and identity logics, where firms support competitors through care, shared identity, and commitment to the wider destination. Habitual emergence develops when repeated collaboration becomes an accepted operating norm. The study extends the coopetition literature by explaining how competitor collaboration emerges. For SME owners, tourism associations, and support agencies, the typology offers a practical tool for distinguishing between commercially driven, community-oriented, and routinized forms of collaboration.